Christmas in July

In case you haven't heard, Christmas is just FIVE months away! Hope you got your shopping done.

On a more serious note, Christmas is on a Sunday this year. What does this mean? Well, it may mean a lot of empty seats in church.

 

If you are a pastor, this coming holiday may very well be discouraging for you, especially if the attendance is down sixty to seventy percent.

 

In light of this, what can we do to honor this S.A.C.R.E.D. celebration in Christendom? While this is written primarily to pastors, every believer will need to decide how to celebrate Christmas this year.

 

S - Service!

 

Services on Christmas Eve are very special. In fact, it is one of the most attended services every year. Yet what about Christmas day? Generally this holiday falls on a Monday - Saturday which makes it a non-issue, but what about this year?

 

Because Christmas morning is a special time for families with traditions, traveling and presents, being able to hold a service will depend largely upon the specific congregation. Not only do pastors and staff need time off as well to be with their families but so do church members. Whether a pastoral staff of one or of a hundred, basic logistics will have to be taken into consideration.

 

While there are pros and cons to either decision regarding a Christmas Day service, I think that a church service on Christmas day can make the day itself more Christ-centered. Not everyone will come on Christmas morning. On the contrary, it is probably safe to say that attendance will be very low but there will be those who desire to bring their families to hear about Christ. Now, I'm not suggesting the normal three morning services. One consolidated service in the late morning would give people enough time to allow them to enjoy Christmas morning and open stockings without the frantic rush. Wrapping everything up by noon will give people ample time to get home for lunch, open the rest of their presents, take a nap, and begin preparing the beautiful Christmas dinner we all crave for all year long.

 

A - Advent!

 

If your church does decide to have a Christmas Day service, that does not mean the traditional Christmas Eve service should be abandoned. Not everyone can go to church on Sundays whether that's due to work or personal preference and it is a part of the American culture to attend church on Christmas Eve. Thus, a Christmas Eve service should definitely still be held and a Christmas Day service added in if possible. (For those paying attention to the acronym, I couldn't come up with one that started with an "A" but since this is about Christmas then who is going to say "Advent" doesn't work? I challenge you to come up with a better one.)

 

C - Communicate Grace!

 

This is for all the Pharisees out there of which I include myself. Don't guilt people into coming to both Saturday evening and Sunday morning. If your church only has a Christmas Eve service, that's perfectly okay. It's important to have grace and be gracious towards others. People have a lot going on and their lives should revolve around Christ. Attempting to guilt people into coming to church is bringing them back to the days before Christ when people had to come to the temple to worship God. Because of Christ, now we can worship Him wherever we are! Remember that ultimately there is nothing wrong with skipping Sunday church one day, especially when they attended the Christmas Eve service just hours before.

 

R - Recognize!

 

Recognize that the stronger the family, the stronger the church. So if your church decides that a Christmas Day service is too much for families, then that's okay. Families need this restful time together and you need this time as well. Again, it's important not to guilt those around you. After all, if you really want to go to church on Christmas Day, you can always visit another church Sunday morning.

 

E - Encourage!

 

Encourage those who want to stay home to enjoy the holiday. Ultimately, whether they come or not, challenge your brothers and sisters in Christ to make this day all about Him. Urge the men in your congregation to step up and lead their families. Give them practical steps as to what they can do in their own homes to lead as the spiritual heads of their families. Things like: reading Luke 2:1-20 (the Christmas passage), praying together before meals and modeling thankfulness, gratefulness and generosity in giving and receiving of gifts.

 

D - Declare Christ!

 

Whether your church decides to do both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day services or just one, do not attack each other. Don't bring negativity into the holiday and make an issue out of whether Santa and a Christmas tree have pagan roots. Or whether or not those who attend church on Christmas Day are really better than those who stay home with their family. Magnify the positive. Declare the glory of Jesus Christ. He was born, He lived and He died and now He is alive forever more because He rose again. Exemplify His power, grace and generosity. Make Him out to be the hero and focus of Christmas!

 

Conclusion

 

I used the acronym of S.A.C.R.E.D. because this is a sacred holiday which represents the God of glory introducing Himself to mankind in the flesh. The slogan "Keep Christ in Christmas" will hit the media again in just a few months. If keeping Christ the center of Christmas is so important then shouldn't we take one hour out of the frenzy of Christmas Day to reflect on Him and thank Him for what He's done for us all? I hope that S.A.C.R.E.D. will spur you as pastors and you as laypeople to start considering how you will spend this Christmas. Whether together as a corporate body worshipping our Lord or privately as families, let's not forget the Reason for the Season.

On a separate note. Acronyms are hard and should be used sparingly and only when one is feeling very creative and word-savvy.